1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to apparatus for use with electronic entertainment devices, and more particularly to a support stand for electronic remote control units which includes a tether for preventing the remote control unit from being completely separated from the stand.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Modern electronic entertainment devices, such as TV's VCR's, CD players, etc., are often provided with a hand-held electronic remote control unit for actuating the entertainment device from a location distant from the device. The electronic remote control unit is provided as a convenience to be used in place of, or in addition to, the panel controls on the entertainment device. Recently, "universal" remote control units have been developed which allows one to control several different entertainment devices with only one single "universal" remote control unit.
Many households have several such entertainment devices with a remote control unit for each, thus there are usually several remote control units, all having a similar appearance, and it is difficult to quickly determine which is the correct one to use for the particular appliance to be activated. Often the entertainment devices are located in various rooms in the dwelling.
Since hand-held remote control units are designed to be portable, as small as possible, and separable from the entertainment device which they control, they often become lost or misplaced. Many hours are spent trying to locate a misplaced remote control unit.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a stand for holding the electronic remote control unit which has a tether connecting the remote control unit to the stand such that it can be used but not completely separated from the stand.
There are several patents which disclose various holders and stands for holding electronic remote control units, most of which will not prevent the remote control unit from being carried off, misplaced, or lost. Thus, if the user does not replace the remote control unit, it can still become lost or misplaced. These patents utilize hook and loop fasteners, but do not provide a means for securing the holder or stand to the surface on which it rests, thus to disengage the fasteners the user must grasp the holder or stand with one hand and remove the remote control unit with the other hand, or lift the stand with the remote control unit attached and aim it at the electronic entertainment device.
VonKleist et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,817 discloses a wedge-shaped caddy for remote control units which has horizontal bottom surface, opposed vertical side surfaces, and an inclined top surface. The top surface ha a layer of high friction material such as either felt or one half of a hook and loop fastener. A mating strip of the hook and loop material is applied to various remote control devices used with the caddy. The four surfaces of the wedge-shaped caddy forms a compartment between the inclined and horizontal surfaces for storing television program guides and the like. This device has no provision for securing the caddy to a flat surface or for maintaining the remote control unit and the caddy together, and when removed from the caddy, the remote control unit can still be lost or misplaced.
Wells et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,746 discloses a box-like orientation and storage apparatus for multiple remote control units which has four intersecting perpendicular walls defining a rectangular central compartment with open cells with short walls on each side of the compartment. Strips of a hook and loop fastener are disposed on the bottom surface of the open cells and the mating hook and loop element is applied to various remote control units to be stored in the open cells. The height of the walls are slightly greater than the thickness of the remote control units received in the cells such that any of the four sides of the apparatus can be placed face down on a flat surface. This device also has no provision for securing the apparatus to a flat surface or for maintaining the remote control unit and the storage apparatus together, and when removed from the apparatus, the remote control units can still be lost or misplaced.
Lowe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,505 discloses a vertical holder for multiple remote control units having a base with a plurality of upstanding walls which define a central storage compartment. Strips of a hook and loop fastener are disposed on the surface of the walls and the mating hook and loop element is applied to various remote control units to be releasably attached to the walls. The device allows the user to operate a single remote control unit while it and the remote control units are attached to the device. This device also has no provision for maintaining the remote control units and the holder together, and when removed from the apparatus, the remote control units can still be lost or misplaced.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and these patents in particular by a stand for holding an electronic remote control unit which has a horizontal bottom surface, a contiguous vertical end surface extending upwardly from one end of the horizontal bottom surface, and a contiguous rectangular top surface extending outwardly from the upper end of the vertical surface spaced directly above the horizontal bottom surface for releasably supporting an electronic remote control unit thereon. An extendible coiled tether cord is secured at one end to the stand and its free end is connected to the electronic remote control unit whereby the remote control unit may be removed from a position supported on the stand but is prevented from complete separation from the stand. Fabric hook and loop fasteners are provided on the top surface and on the free end of the tether. In a preferred embodiment, suction cup members are provided on the bottom surface for releasably attaching the stand to a flat surface. The suction cups anchor the stand to the flat surface, making it easier to disengage the mating hook and loop fasteners and allow the remote control unit to be easily removed from the stand with one hand. Since the remote control unit is tethered to the stand, it cannot be completely separated therefrom and will not become lost or misplaced, and because the stand is anchored by the suction cups near the location of the electronic entertainment device, it also reduces the likelihood of the entire stand being removed from the location in which the remote control unit was intended to be used.